4-year-old snatched on visit to Panda Express with grandmother, California police say

A 4-year-old girl abducted by a stranger on a visit to a Panda Express restaurant was rescued from a nearby motel room minutes later, California police and news sources reported.

A woman called 911 from a restaurant at 12:11 p.m. Friday, July 12, to report her granddaughter had been kidnapped, Santa Monica police said in a news release.

A stranger lured the 4-year-old girl away while the grandmother paid for their meals at the Panda Express, police told KTLA.

More than 30 officers and other police employees flooded the area, searching for the accused abductor and child using video from the restaurant, police said.

At 12:37 p.m., officers found Breanna Taylor Shields, 31, with the 4-year-old girl in a room at the Holiday Motel a few blocks from the restaurant, police said.

Shields, who appeared to be a long-term resident of the motel, was arrested and charged with kidnapping, police said.

The child wasn’t hurt, KTTV reported.

“Our heartfelt best wishes go out to the child and her family as they deal with the shock of this ordeal,” police said in the release. “We will do everything we can to make sure they are helped through this time and also to make sure no stone is left unturned in the investigation.”

Santa Monica is about a 15-mile drive west of downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 7:51 AM with the headline "4-year-old snatched on visit to Panda Express with grandmother, California police say."